Separation of Control and Data Planes: SDN fundamentally separates the control plane (which makes decisions about where traffic is sent) from the data plane (which actually forwards the traffic). This separation allows for centralized management and programmability of the network, making it easier to implement changes, optimize performance, and manage the network as a whole.
Centralized Management vs. Distributed Control: In traditional networking, the control plane is distributed across multiple devices, which can enhance fault tolerance but often makes network management more complex and less flexible. SDN's centralized approach simplifies management and enables more agile network configurations.
Kubernetes (K8s) employs a similar concept in its architecture by abstracting and centralizing control over container orchestration. In Kubernetes, the control plane manages the state and scheduling of containers (pods), while the data plane handles the actual execution of these containers on worker nodes. (for more: https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/architecture/)
B) While SDN does allow for dynamic adjustments to packet forwarding rules, the emphasis on "hardware level" is less accurate. SDN primarily achieves flexibility through software-based control rather than hardware modifications.
C) Enhanced security through isolation of the data plane is not a primary or inherent advantage of SDN. Security benefits can arise from centralized control, but isolation of the data plane is not the main focus.
D) SDN typically relies on standardized protocols like OpenFlow to ensure vendor-agnostic interoperability. The statement incorrectly suggests that SDN relies on proprietary protocols, which would actually hinder interoperability.